Page 78 of Trouble

She obeyed—thank the stars above, she obeyed. But my relief at the sound of her hurried footfalls disappearing off toward the gate was quickly interrupted when Wesley’s shovel smacked down full-force on the ground right next to myhead.

I rolled, grunting from the pain in my broken shoulder, and kicked into the darkness. My foot connected with something solid, and Wesley huffed as I swiped his ankles from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground. I tried to get on top of him, but was too hindered by my shoulder to make it before the large man had recovered. Too late I went for my gun, but Wesley beat me to it. He ripped the weapon from my belt and I heard the click of the safety beinguncocked.

Cussing, I rolled again, cringing when I landed on my broken shoulder, but it was just intime.

A shot rang through the night, so close to my head it was deafening, but he didn’t hit me. I scrambled to my feet, narrowly avoiding the second shot, and threw myself further in between thegraves.

Wesley shot one more time, but this one was wide off. He didn’t know where I was hiding, and in the darkness, it’d be impossible for him to tell. I heard him swear under his breath when he realized, but my momentary relief came to a dead halt when the sound of his feet hit the gravel, and he set into a jog. In the same direction Audrey haddisappeared.

My heart gave a spasm as cold dread filled my lungs.Oh, no. No, no,no.

I didn’t think—didn’t care that my shoulder was screaming in agony as I scrambled to my feet. All I cared about just then was that an armed man, an enemy, was chasing down the woman Iloved.

As soon as I took a step forward to run after them, my foot hit something metallic. “Thank fuck,” I whispered into the night air as I bent and let my fingers close around the familiar handle of Liam’s gun. It was the same model as my own. I didn’t bother putting it away as I took up chase after Wesley, biting down on the pain when every step sent jolts of agony shooting through myshoulder.

The further I ran without seeing any of them, the more my anxiety gnawed at my gut. Where was Liam? He didn’t have a gun to defend Audrey with, but I knew she’d still be infinitely safer with him than on herown.

Fuck, ifonly—

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when I rounded the final corner before the gates next to the fence we’d climbed. They were open, but that wasn’t what made icy fear freeze every muscle in my body. I came to a stumbling standstill as I stared at the people illuminated by the single street light outside thecemetery.

A dozen men stood on the other side of the gates. One of them held Liam with an arm twisted up behind his back, a gun pointing at his temple. Audrey stood close by him, but the person holding a gun to her head was my father. By his side, Wesley stood with the smuggest look as he stared me down, and I wished I’d killed him when I’d had the chance. Everything inside of me itched to put a bullet in his brain. I’d never wanted to kill someone so badlybefore.

“Just in time.” My father’s cold voice rang through the quietude, sending sharp spikes of fear through my body. “But you two were always mydependablesons, weren’tyou?”

He had them both. The two people I loved more than anything else…hehad them. The man who’d had his own wife and child murdered in coldblood.

I looked across his row of men and knew I could do nothing against them all. Even if my father didn’t have guns aimed at Audrey and Liam, there were just too many for me to take down. So I did the only thing I could. I raised my gun and aimed it straight at my father’shead.

He laughed. A short, disparaging bark, and then he yanked Audrey’s head backward by her hair, displaying her vulnerablethroat.

“You’ve got some balls, son, I’ll give you that,” he sneered. “Wanna see if you can press the trigger before your twin and the girl are dead on theground?”

“You won’t hurt them.” I knew I sounded much more self-assured than Ifelt.

“No?” My father cocked his head at me. “It seems to me you have been conspiring with your brothers to take me down. Involving low-lifes like the Perkinsons in Family affairs… And this little tart, whoever the fuck she is. And now here you are, waving a gun in my face. Tell me again why I shouldn’t kill them both? Maybe you and your brothers will fall in line when they get some concrete proof of what exactly happens to anyone who crosses WilliamSteel.”

“Like you killed Mum? And Jeremy?” I bit back. “You betrayed your own blood. I think you’ve more than proven how little you can be trusted.” I turned my attention to his men. “You hear that? He killed his own wife and child. You think he’d hesitate to killyou?Or yourfamilies?”

“Don’t bother. Unlike my own ungrateful offspring, they understand the meaning of loyalty. Your mother was a traitor. And I guess what they say is true—if there’s something wrong with the bitch, there’ll be something wrong with the pups. I should have killed you all when I learned the truth abouther.”

I dared a glance at his men, and on their faces I saw the truth. They might be scared my father would turn on them, but that was exactly what kept them in line. No one would help me save my twin or my love. So there was only one thing left for me todo.

“Take me instead. If you let them go, I will come with you willingly. You can do what you want with me—make me an example for the whole city. I’ll do whatever you want me to, say whatever you want. And I won’t struggle when you executeme.”

“Louis!” Audrey’s gasp was filled withterror.

“How verynoble,”my father spat. “Fine. I accept. Your life for theirs… as long as your twin promises compliance, now andforevermore.”

“Louis, no! No fucking way!” Liam’s voice was furious, but when I looked at him, I saw the panic in hiseyes.

I lowered my gun until it hung limply by my side, not looking away from the man I’d shared my whole life with. Who meant everything to me, along with the woman who loved him, not me. “Yes. This is how it has to be. This way I get to die knowing the two people I love will find happinesstogether.”

“How do you think we could ever be happy without you?” Liam asked, and the first sliver of despair finally showed in his voice. He knew, too. He knew there was no other waynow.

“I know the love you share. I know because I feel it too. But she’s supposed to be yours, Liam, I understand that now. She was yours first, and she will always be yours first. So please. If you want my sacrifice to mean anything, concede to him. Accept his terms. And live a long life with her by your side. Maybe pop out some ginger babies and name one of them after me.” I tried to crack a smile, to show him everything was all right, but it was impossible. The absolute devastation I saw in my twin’s eyes was too real to wish away with a joke thistime.

“Louis, no! Louis, look at me!” Audrey sounded so desperate, and as much as I yearned to see her sweet face one last time, I knew I couldn’t or I’d lose my nerve. I wanted to be with her more than I wanted to breathe, but it wasn’t possible. And now, at least I could give her up knowing it would save themboth.

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